His body is at the Lyken Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem examination, which will determine whether the man was shot dead.
De Florimonte’s reputed wife and the mother of his two children, Onika Simpson, told Stabroek News that the body was found around 7 am by a villager who was cleaning his yard. The unbearable stench emanating from the area at the back of his fence piqued his curiosity and he found the body.
When asked why she did not report the man as missing, since more than 24 hours had elapsed, since she last saw him on Wednesday afternoon around noon, Simpson said it was not unusual for the man to go missing for hours. However, she said that this was the first time that such a long period had elapsed without anyone hearing from him and that is why search parties were arranged on Friday. But checks at locations he normally frequented proved futile.
Residents yesterday were angry and remained adamant that the man’s death was as a result of him having been shot by police on Wednesday night, when they carried out a raid in the area. “They de gambling on Wednesday night in front deh and [name given] call the police on them… the police drive through and everybody start fuh run away but then they fire in the air and some people stay but Saddam know he ain’t get he luck with them, so he jump that fence but fall, hitting he back and they lick shots behind he,” an eyewitness recounted.
Further, the eyewitness said, De Florimonte apparently realised that he would be caught so he started screaming, “Don’t shoot meh, ah surrender”, but the police shot again anyway and the man got up and continued running in the backyard with police in hot pursuit.
Residents believe the police gave up their chase after realising that the area was muddy and they returned to the gambling spot, where another policeman was left in charge of the persons arrested. Five persons were subsequently taken into custody and they were charged with loitering and released on Thursday morning.
However, a police source at the Sparendaam Police Station told Stabroek News there is no record of police discharging rounds on Wednesday night. The source said while there are indeed records of five persons being held for loitering, there is no record of rounds being fired. “If shots are fired, they are required to report it. The ranks that night did not mention anything about shooting nor there is any record here of any rounds being discharged… the books will show this… there is nothing here,” the police said.
One of the persons who was arrested on Wednesday night told Stabroek News that police were called to the area because of an ongoing territorial war between two rival gambling leaders or “markers.”
“Saddam come out from the bush and tek away [name given] gambling hustle. He used to be the marker and Saddam get everybody now gambling in front a he, so every other day is some session between the two a dem and he is threaten the other people if they gamble with Saddam what gon happen,” the person said. He said too that another person’s cellphone memory card could not be found on Thursday morning and that person had to go to a senior official at Cove and John Station to retrieve it.
“The police is he friend so Wednesday night he call them and cochore pun Saddam hustle, that’s why they come,” the source added. Police yesterday said that Gary De Florimonte was before the courts on several charges of armed robbery and a charge of discharging a loaded firearm with intent. He was also wanted for questioning into recent reports of robberies and threats involving the use of a firearm.
